Key holder



Sept. 1, 1942. h. M..SCHUPBACH KEY HOLDER Filed Jan. 17, 194? INVENTOR%1/ 25ac)% BY WSW Patented Sept. 1, 1942 KEY HOLDER Rene M. Schupbach,Cranston, R. L assignor to Freeman-Daughaday Company, a corporation ofMassachusetts Application January 17, 1942, Serial No. 427,159

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a key holder of the type adapted forattachment to the end of a key chain to be carried on the person of thewearer.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a key holder to whicha key may be easily attached or removed, the arrangement being such thatthe end over which the key is positioned may be separably engaged toprevent the escape of the key from the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a key holder which may beopened for the reception of a key and which will maintain itself in suchopen position until manually closed'by the user, without the keeperobstructing the entrance for the key onto the holder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a key holder which willmaintain its same compact relationship whether it is in open or closedposition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a keeper which formssubstantially the sector of a circle and which .by swinging about thecenter of the circle may be moved from open to closed position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the key holder in closed position with a keymounted on the holder and the suspending chain shown in attachedposition thereto.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 omitting the key and the chain, andshowing the holder in open position for the reception or discharge of akey therefrom.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the keeper member in section, and in closedposition.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the showing in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating the keeperjust before moved completely to closed position.

With reference to the drawing, Ill designates the body of the key holderwhich consists of a resilient piece of stock, generally circular incross section, and which may be either metal or plastic, and isformulated generally looped-shaped, that shown here being along the pathof a circle, or of generally annular form, having one terminal end llprovided with a hook l2 and a cam surface l3 while the'other end ofthisbody I4 is spaced from the end ll toprovide an entrance opening 16 forthe passage of keys over the end II and along the body Ill. An arm l5extends inwardly from the end I4 substantially along a radial line. Akey is indicated at I! having an opening [8 for the reception of the endII.

An opening I9 is located in the arm 15 at substantially the center ofthe annular body I0 and provides a pivot bearing for a keeper designatedgenerally 20 which has a bridge portion 2i provided with an opening 22to receive the hook end l2 of the body. A sector-shaped portion 23extends radially inwardly from the bridging portion 2! on either side ofthe body to the pivot bearing center I9 and a U-shaped strap 24 alsoextends to the pivot bearing and spaced from the keeper to provide aneye 25 for the reception of the ring 26 attaching the chain 2'1 thereto.The U-shaped strap is fixed to the keeper as by solder. A pivot pin 28extends through the bearing 19 and suitable registering openings in thekeeper 20 and the U-shaped member 24 so as to pivotally mount the keeperwith reference to the body.

As the keeper is swung from the position shown in Fig. 2 toward theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the cam surface l3 engages the underside of the bridging portion 2| of the keeper so as to flex the end llinwardly as shown in Fig. 5 until the hook-shaped end registers with theopening 22, when this end will enter the opening 22 and then lock thekeeper securely in closed position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The keeper 2!] being pivoted at substantial the center of the annularbody will frictionally engage the outer surface 29 of the body adjacentthe end I4 and thus serve to maintain the keeper in open position suchas shown in Fig. 2 where free access to the end H by key 11 may be hadwithout the danger of the keeper accidentally closing the opening.

Further, by reason of the sector-shaped portion 23 of the keeper itmaintains symmetry and ballance and occupies substantially the samecompact space whether the keeper be in open or closed position. From theconstruction shown it will be apparent that when no keys are on thebody, the keeper may be swung a complete revolution by merely flexinginwardly the hook end ll. Of course, should a key be strung on the body,it would be forced over the end i I when the keeper is swungcounter-clockwise as shown in Fig. 2 during any such rotation.

I claim:

1. A key holder comprising a generally annular body having spaced ends,an arm on one end of the body extending inwardly to substantially thecenter thereof, and the other end provided with a hook, and a keeper toextend across said spaced ends and having a portion pivoted at thecenter of said annular body to close said space between the ends of saidbody, said keeper having an opening therein to receive said hook to holdthe keeper in closed position.

2. A key holder comprising a generally annular body having spaced ends,an arm on one end of the body extending inwardly to substantially thecenter thereof and the other end provided with a hook, and a keeper toextend across said spaced end and having a portion pivoted at the centerof said annular body to close said space between the ends of said body,said keeper having an opening therein to receive said'hook to hold thekeeper in closed position the surface of the hook engaged by the keeperbeingshapedto earn the hook into the opening in the-keeper.

3. A key holder comprising a generally annular body having spaced ends,an arm on one end of the body extending inwardly to substantially thecenter thereof, and a generally U-shaped keeper to extend across saidspaced ends and with the sides thereof pivoted to the said arm at thecenter of said annular body to close said space between the ends of saidbody, and with the bight of said keeper positioned at a location to bemoved over the outer surface of said body when moved to opened position.

4. A key holder comprising a generally annular body having spaced ends,an arm on one end of the body extending radially inwardly tosubstantially the center thereof, and a generally U-shaped keeper toextend across said spaced ends and with-the sides thereof straddlingsaid arm and pivoted thereto at the end portion thereof to closesai'd'space between the ends of said body, and with the bight of saidkeeper frictionally engaging the outer surface of said body and movableover said outer surface when moved to opened position.

RENE M. SCHUPBACH.

